digital films developed by Bart Santello and Psychotropic Films™ are discussed in this blog.

Friday, November 21, 2008

A few years back when digital media was becoming a reality, I saw the opportunity to use digital film technology in an artistic way. This has allowed me to express ideas and information as dreams - without a point of view; thus open for interpretation.

Friday, October 24, 2008

A Produce: I just want to let you know that I completed release 5.0 of "Outskirts of Infinity" last night. This new version of the film feels good. It's chock-full of new and improved visual elements. I really tightened-up the film and eliminated all the things that were bugging me over the last 3-years (e.g. opening pan shot of Ruby and uninspired montage of 'Ruby' in the first 1/3 of the film). Importantly....at the same time I retained aspects of the film people enjoyed (e.g. the shovel pile). I added a host of new psycho-symbolic images and visual textures to suggest additional inter-dimensional gateways and reinforce the absence of time.

I added additional scenes of Ruby from the only surviving 1939 8mm film of the mining town.

By the way; I worked on the remaster of your piece "Within Reach", by reducing the mid-range, adding compression and tightening the tonal range to provide warmth. Previously for the film, I felt the song was too sharp and the highs too loud. Now I feel the viewer can be enveloped in the sonic and carried along with the scene of the flying bats, without any subconscious distraction.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Hey "A Produce". I just wanted to leave you an e-note that finally this week I am at peace with my computers and for the last few days I'm back to working on version 5 of "Outskirts of Infinity". It's being creatively improved to release the full potential of my original ideas.

What made me think of you tonight is I'm currently mastering-for-film your song "Within Reach" from "White Sands". See photo in this post. I made it really warmer and spatial. With headphones it kind of envelopes you. Can't wait to both see and hear it when the DVD comes out soon. By the way, I used Audio Cleaning Lab 12 to do the trick.Anyhow, I was really appreciating your work and feeling good that we're collaborating on some real special stuff. Good night (well, not quite yet for me...) Bart

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

If I think about doing a short film, I can come up with an idea. But as the ideas accumulate, I wonder how I would find the time to make all these short films. But what I have been observing lately is that these ideas are engaged in something like an evolutionary battle for which ideas will just be text on paper; and which ones will trimuph and inspire an actual completed film. I realize too that other ideas are just building blocks to a larger project; or, they may simply inspire the completion of what's already in the works.

I've been thinking about my film Strange Attractor" lately and have been considering going back to the original idea for Strange Attractor which was for it to be a real "emotionally dark" - black & white short, using an equally haunting score by ambient electronic musician Richard Bone.

I'm okay with current version of "Strange attractor" (including the planned 2009 'restoration'). But I now see that its time to complete the original idea for the black & white version.

Interesting that this particular idea, dormant for several years, has re-appeared as a result of improved digital tools and new inspiration. It appears that Strange Attractor, is once again on my mind and I have some ideas for it.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

I was thinking today as I was designing labels and creating promotional artwork for my film "Day Residue"; that although most think this aspect of filmmaking to be equivalent of mundane 'paperwork', I had a different attitude. I looked at the DVD jacket and disc art as a chance to illuminate artistic visual elements of the film.

A single frame from thousands of images within the film, provides an opportunity to convey additional information about the work or in the case of a DVD case, intice a potential viewer to watch the film. This manual effort in a way, should be cherished by the independent filmmaker. Because in a way you are as close to the film as you're ever going to get. As filmmakers get into bigger productions, this work is provided to a member of the production team. That may be fine if your team member is a cool artist. But once your vision is sent-off to a film studio's marketing department - something special will invariably be lost.

Friday, April 18, 2008

On April 24th, 'Intangible' will be shown at Arizona International Film Festival, along with other Arizona film shorts beginning at 6:00pm.

From the AIFF website:

INTANGIBLE Barton Santello , USA, 2007, 8 min.

"An experimental montage features vague fragments of time in restored 8mm. film stock. Grainy artifacts of family history bring to life eerie, joyful shadows from the past. By provoking emotions rather than telling a story, the haunting score and beautifully fragile, time-weathered images incite feelings of nostalgia for long forgotten memories. Barton Santello makes his home in Arivaca, Arizona, and creates multi-media projects that reach his audience through feelings rather than language. His films are open to interpretation depending on the viewer's mood and viewing perspective."

For information on the Arizona International Film Festival including a schedule of films and events, please follow this link: AIFF

Viewer's comment: What a beautiful film! It brought tears to my eyes. The slow motion; the music; and the title Intangible. Perfection.....Dan (Massachusetts)